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Saturday, 6 December 2014

Ignorance
of law is no excuse therefore expatriates living in Saudi Arabia must know the
laws of land. Here we are going to write about the laws commonly violated by
the expats in Saudi Arabia. Violation of law puts the offender in great
troubles. He may be punished, imprisoned or even deported in some cases. So it
is important for everyone to get knowledge about laws and not to violate them
to avoid any kind of physical or pecuniary punishment. Those who are working
here to get a good living for their families in their home lands must not waste
money in payment of heavy fines.

Top 10 Laws Violated by Expats in
Saudi Arabia

Using an Illegal Satellite TV: Usage of illegal decoders for satellite
televisions is an offence. Institutions such as Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance
have been formed to trace the usage of illegal decoder boxes. They have hired
special teams to trace the illegal usage of the satellite. Use of illegal
satellite is not only a hazard for thousands of employees of the TV industry
rather it is a great crime in context of violation of copy right laws in Saudi
Arabia. So, one shall understand that use of illegal satellite decoders is not
a blessing rather it is a crime and can cost to ones stay in Saudi Arabia.

Being in possession of Alcohol:
Alcohol is prohibited in Saudi Arabia. Laws are so strict about alcohol that
one may not find his favorite mouth wash Listerine that contains a ratio of
alcohol as ingredient. If someone is found in possession of alcohol in Saudi
Arabia, he will be given high fiscal punishment and will also be imprisoned for
quite a long time. We have detailed the laws related to alcohol drinking in
detail in this link. “Drinking
Alcohol (Liquor) in Saudi Arabia”

Littering:
Littering may not be a serious offence in the native country of an expat in Saudi
Arabia but it is a crime in Saudi Laws. There is pecuniary punishment of
thousands of Riyals for this offence. Someone may think that no one is watching
him doing littering but the matter of fact is that it is not unseen.

Jaywalk:
Crossing a road through an unspecified point is jaywalk and is an offence under
the Saudi law. The offender can be imposed fine and can also be punished
otherwise. Traffic is very much fast in Saudi Arabia, jaywalking can also cause
accidents. It is also a great hazard for the person and other road users as
well.

Washing cars on roadside
or letting the water flow on road otherwise: An expat may think that washing
car on roadside will save him some money. One must know that this is not a way
of saving rather it will amount him in violation of law in Saudi Arabia.
Washing cars on the roadside or the flow of water from AC or otherwise on road
is prohibited by law. Hundreds of people are fined every year because of this
violation.

Unmarried Couple Living together:
one can live in a shared living to minimize the cost of living. It is important
to know that sharing the apartment with a person of opposite sex who is not
having a blood relation is an offense. Saudi
Arabia is governed by Islamic laws, so two unmarried persons are prohibited to
live together. It is a crime and can be punished or fined or both the
punishments can be pronounced. It is important to note that deportation of
offenders is most probable in this case. It is called Khilwa in Saudi Arabia. “Married
Couple caught for Khilwa Offence”

Use of illegal phone/calling cards: Many
expats buy cheap calling cards to make calls to their loved ones at home. Saudi
law makes it clear that purchase and use of illegal cheap calling cards is a
crime. These unauthorized voice calls violate Saudi law and can result in a severe
punishment.

Sex without Wedlock:
Sex without wedlock/adultery is a big crime in Saudi Arabia and will end up in
capital punishment for offenders. We have also written another article to
explain the situation about this offence in detail. “Punishment
of Adultery (Zina) and Homosexuality in Saudi Arabia” Punishment of
adultery for married and unmarried persons is different. If a married person
commits adultery he/she will be stoned till death. If the same offence is
committed by unmarried person he/she will be punished with 100 lashes.

Showing affection publically:
Public demonstration of love and affection is an offence in Saudi Arabia; it
includes hug and kiss to a person of opposite sex. One can hold hand of his
wife in a public place but no kisses allowed because it is against modesty and
creates an uncomfortable situation for others. This offence may result in an
imprisonment and a further punishment of lashes may also be added. In a previous
article we have explained this issue in detailed manner. “Punishment
of French Kiss in Saudi Arabia”